A Shadow of a Boy
by Umbra Gami
Summary: A strange new addition has been made to Konoha's forces and there is no doubt that he is a useful warrior to the village's cause but is all as it seems? Placed on a tracking team under a new high ranking Ninja, the boy will work to help those around him achieve their goals, but are his own goals so honourable, or is he truly as he seems?
1. Prelude

**Disclaimer:  
This is a work of fiction, any and all characters and their names are made up, any likeness to any persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.**

**Naruto and Naruto Shippuden belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not myself. This is purely a work of fan based fiction and I receive no monetary reimbursement from the online publication of this work.  
Please support the official release of Naruto.  
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**I own the intellectual property of any and all of my original characters and plot devices. Please do not use them without permission.**

* * *

**A Shadow of a Boy**

Chapter 1 - Prelude

_"Fire style; Great Fireball no Jutsu!" The forest lights up with a glorious blazing inferno that dances after a small, silhouetted figure._

_The figure trips and the ball of pure orange flames dance over their form._  
_With a pained cry, the silhouette stands and begins to run again._

_There is a sound liken to fingers being snapped and suddenly the ground beneath the figure detonates in a fiery explosion, throwing the figure in a smoking arc._

_They hit the ground rolling and continue their movements however are suddenly surrounded by five figures, all clad in black with headbands of black iron._

_"Return or be destroyed." One of the new figures states, their gruff voice piercing the air._

_"No!" The small figure cries, his childlike voice revealing both his youth and his gender._

_"So be it."_  
_A knife, white hot is thrown at the boy whom somehow allows his body to avoid the blow. Yet still it glances and the boy screams out in pain._

_Another fireball lights up the sky revealing a small child with royal blue hair and electric blue eyes with heavy bags beneath them._

_As he manages to dodge one fireball, another is flung straight into his back, throwing him to the ground in flames._

_The boy's cries of pain turn slowly into a strange, inhuman noise that causes a shiver to work its way down each of the other's spines._

_Suddenly the air is filled with the sound of human screams, the sound of flesh being torn asunder and the sound of a small boy, on his own, laid in a sea of human blood crying for his mother._

_It was in this state that he was found by a man with a raven mask and a tattoo that resembled both a flame and a leaf, a pair of crimson eyes with a strange construction of three inverted apostrophes that surrounded a shrunken pupil that glanced out from beneath the mask._

_Without a word the new dark figure picked up the child and carried him away._

_Unknowing was he that the boy he had just picked up was never meant to be there and this simple act of kindness would cause a divergence the likes of which had not been seen._

_"Papa... Why... Why does it hurt? Why did you make me...? Mama... Mama is dead..."_


	2. Song

Chapter 2 - Song

"Oiroke no Jutsu!" The blonde haired idiot wearing an orange jumpsuit cries as the air around him burns with the over exertion of chakra.  
Out of the smoke pops a buxom blonde with pigtails, her nude form covered only by the wispiest of smoke tendrils.

For the barest moment there is silence then all of the pubescent males bar a few are blown back by their own perverted nosebleeds, inclusive of the class teacher whom bounces back to scold the boy but seconds later, two pieces of tissue having mysteriously materialised in his nostrils as he gives the boy a sound telling off.

Another boy watches on. Like many others in the class, he has a vibrant colour of hair, being a dark royal blue that stands out, even in this class of pinks and golden yellows.

His face, whilst handsome, held the tell tale signs of insomnia and exhaustion.  
His electric blue eyes seemed unfocused and indifferent however the slight smirk that tugged the corner of his lips. That Jutsu had truly destructive power.

He watched the boy with interest. It was strange but he felt power... Raw, dangerous power emanating from deep inside the boy. The only other whom he could feel the power rolling from like that was the Military Dictator of the village, the old Hokage, whom despite his age, held presence like few others.

Soon, class was over and time simply flew away and another day passes. Besides a disappointingly low levelled academy test that had allowed him to graduate and become a Genin of Konoha.

The boy lies at what he calls home, looking at the dark ceiling like it held all of the answers to life the universe and everything.

Well, someone _had_ painted 42 in red up there.

Suddenly, a person occupies an area of space that they had not but moments ago.

Dressed all in black with a bear shaped porcelain mask, the individual is imposing yet hard to notice.

"Hello, lord ANBU, are you in need of anything?" The boy said, still staring at the two red numbers and the enigma that they represented.

"Lord Hokage has requested your presence, Umbra. As a Genin, you cannot refuse." The ANBU state in his gruff monotone.

The boy, now given the name 'Umbra' glanced toward the ANBU officer.

"What gave you the idea that I might refuse a command from the Hokage? Even if I were still a citizen, it would be my duty to answer to his whim. In any case, I am ready to be escorted there." Umbra says, standing, his long brown scarf falling along his back, almost like a cloak.

Though the ANBU's emotions were covered, one could almost feel the scowl from him as he put his hand against the boy's shoulder and made the single hand sign that made them both disappear in a flurry of leaves.

And appear in the audience chamber of the most powerful (Politically and Physically speaking) Man in the village.

The old man with ashen hair, dressed in the white robes of his position was faced away from them as they prostrated themselves in his presence.

A puff of smoke appears from the corner of his mouth as he moves an ink laden brush over a scroll, completing a sentence in kanji.

Once this is done, he places the brush down and picks up a diamond shaped hat that sits beside him and places it on his head, the clothe on the sides falling down to cover the back and sides of his head as he turns to face the two.

For a second there is silence as another puff of smoke releases itself from the corner of his mouth, while his lined and aged face turned to one of a kind happiness.  
"You may arise." The Hokage says, removing his smoking pipe from the corner of his mouth.

Both boy and ANBU arose in silence before the Hokage as the old Dictator sat down, cross legged upon a tatami mat, his old bones clicking.

"Leave us, Bear, and tell Miss Kurenai she may now join us." The aged Hokage spoke.

The ANBU officer gave his master a deep bow and left the room to be replaced by an adult woman with crimson eyes and wild black hair whom wore the remains of a crimson outfit and a mesh vest under a set of bandages wrapped tight around her body.

"Kurenai Yuhi reporting for duty, Lord Hokage." She spoke, bowing to the old man.

"Good evening, Kurenai. I am sure that you remember not long ago, I assigned you a three man team as is the tradition?" he Hokage asked.

"Hai, my lord, you assigned me Lady Hyuga, Master Inuzuka and Master Aburame as a tracking unit." Kurenai spoke, a hint of questioning entering her voice.

"Due to recent... Events, we have one more Genin graduating, offsetting the numbers. This means either one Genin would have to wait on standby until next year, or one team must take on an extra member. Having looked over the pros and cons, I have made my decision and I would like you to meet the fourth member of your team, Umbra, Meet Kurenai, your new Jounin sensei." The Hokage said.

"A pleasure." Umbra says, bowing to his superior.

Kurenai looked between the boy and the Hokage.

"With all due respect Lord Hokage, the tradition is Four member teams, one Jounin or high Chunin to three Genin, on top of that, I am a new Jounin. Would Kakashi not be more suited to this?" She speaks, sparing only a glance for her supposed new student.

"It is because of this reason that I have decided to place an extra Genin on your team. One: A tracking team needs extra defence. Two: I believe you to have a broad enough time to deal with this. Three: Kakashi will slack on training his Genin as it is and you know that." The Hokage spoke.

'I resent that!' A masculine voice shouted from across Konoha.

"In any case, Kurenai, this is my decision. The decision of your Hokage, and I would appreciate it if you agreed with it." His words were put together so very carefully, ever offering the choice yet showing his subjects that his word was still law.

"I... Of course, Lord Hokage." Kurenai stated, bowing to the Hokage in reverence.

"Now then, best not let too much out of this, I'd rather not have to face the headache the council will give me over this. Such is the reason I introduced you two today instead of allowing my Chunin to go over it tomorrow. Thus, Umbra I wish for you to tail Kurenai tomorrow rather than attending the announcements. There is nothing else I wish to discuss with you. You are free to leave" The Hokage spoke.

Umbra gives a deft nod and with another gracious bow, he leaves.

The Hokage keeps the silence for a few minutes before removing his pipe from his lips once more, allowing the smoke to filter out from his lungs.  
"Kurenai, that child, while we have confirmed that he has no personal malice against Konoha, there is still something of a possibility of him being a sleeper agent. I trust that you understand exactly what that means, for you and your team?" The Hokage spoke.

"Hai, I do. Keep an eye on him at all times and do not allow him to hear any information classified as B rank or above that would not be shared with foreigners, for his own protection as well as our own." Kurenai replies.

"Then I leave it in your hands. His membership on your team doesn't have to be kept secret, however please try and keep it so until I can give the excuse that he's too ingrained to be taken off the team. Other than that, you are free to go." The Hokage stated motioning to the door.

Kurenai bowed stiffly and turned, walking away, leaving the Hokage to his scrolls.

Being a long time Ninja meant that Kurenai really enjoyed sleep when she got it.  
Having a whole queen sized bed with silk-soft sheets did wonders for one's temperament.  
Kami knew why she dressed in such complicated clothes but they worked surprisingly well for seduction assignments, plus, bandages were surprisingly soft.

She walks downstairs and turns the boiling pot on, readying her morning routine when something off catches the corner of her eye, being a Ninja, she instantly turned to face...  
"Umbra?!" She spoke incredulously.  
"Two minutes, fourteen seconds. That's what it took you to notice me. Good morning." He replies, sipping Tea from an ornate cup that had materialised from nowhere.  
Silence prevails for a whole minute before a burst of noise is heard all over the village.

"**WHAT THE HELL?!**"


End file.
